电子商务物流中英文对照外文翻译文献

电子商务物流中英文对照外文翻译文献

电子商务物流中英文对照外文翻译文献

(文档含英文原文和中文翻译)

外文资料翻译

- 1 -

Introducing Commodity Flow to an Agent-Based Model

E-commerce System

Abstract

In our model agent-based e-commerce system [2] we have assumed that a certain

number of items of a given product is available for sale. In this note we introduce a

model logistics subsystem and discuss how it will be integrated with the system.

Keywords: e-commerce;logistics system;agent

1. Introduction

Currently, we are developing and implementing a model agent-based e-commerce

system (see [2] and references collected there). In this system multiple buyer agents

attempt at making purchase by participating in price negotiations in e-stores and selecting

the best offer, while e-stores attempt at maximizing profit resulting from product

sales.Thus far our attention was focused on buyer-seller interactions. By assuming that

products are in the warehouse we have omitted the question where do they come from.

The aim of this work is to describe how our system can be extended to include product

restocking processes.

Before proceeding let us make a few observations. First, the proposed logistics

subsystem is not ―stand alone‖ (e.g. similar to that considered in [3, 1, 6]). Instead, it

has been created within the context of our e-commerce system, which has directly

influenced its design. Second, while somewhat similar, processes involved in e-store

restocking a warehouse differ from client making a purchase in an e-store (e.g. in

product demand prediction, interactions with wholesalers, methods of price negotiations

that involve more ―conditions,‖ offer selection criteria, etc.) Therefore we have created a

separate logistics subsystem (instead of reusing already modeled functions; e.g. price

negotiations). Third, this note is devoted to the agent structure and agent interactions and,

due to the space limitations, we omit important topics like:forecasts derivation, offer

evaluation etc.However, these functions can be encapsulated into modules that can become

a part of an appropriate agent. Therefore readers should envision that, for instance, when

we write that ―received offers are evaluated,‖then their favorite method of offer evaluation 外文资料翻译

- 2 - has been utilized.

To proceed, first, we briefly describe our e-commerce system.We follow with

assumptions that underline the logistics subsystem and description of new agents that

were introduced. Finally, we present the sequence diagram of restocking and use it to

discuss in detail how this process will take place in our system.

2. System Description

Our system is a distributed marketplace in which software agents perform

e-commerce functions (see [2] for details, the Use Case diagram in particular).

User-Client is represented by the Client Agent (CA). The CA is autonomous and when

a purchase order is communicated by the User-Client, it works until either it is

completed, or purchase is abandoned. The CA communicates with the Client Information

Center (CIC), which facilitates information which e-stores sell which products

(yellow-page matchmaking).For each store that sells the requested product, the CA

delegates a Buyer Agent (BA) to participate in price negotiations and if successful,

possibly attempt at making a pur- chase (successful price negotiations result in a product

reservation for a specific time; after which products that have not been purchased are

available for sale again).Since multiple BAs representing the same CA can win price

negotiations the CA makes the decision if either of available offers is good enough to

make a purchase. Buyer Agents can participate in negotiations only if the Gatekeeper

Agent (GA) admits them (if they are trusted; e.g. BAs that win price negotiations but do

not make a purchase may be barred from subsequent negotiations). The GA represents a

given e-store and is created by the Shop Agent (SA). The SA is the central manager and

facilitating the selling process it utilizes the GA, and a set of Seller Agents (SeA) that

negotiate price with incoming BAs, as well as a Warehouse Agent (WA) that is responsible

for inventory and reservation management. Thus far, the WA was responsible for

managing product reservations and the inventory. Specifically, (1) before a new price

negotiation the WA ―reserved‖ a given product—so that if negotiation ended successfully

there was an item that could be sold; (2) when a reservation ended in purchase, it adjusted

product counters; and (3) when a reservation expired it also adjusted products counters.

However, the WA was always envisioned as the ―gateway‖ between the store and